fame nature and spirit. O the blood of Jesus lieth at their doors, shed, spilt, and trod under foot of them, and will one day cry for eternal vengeance against them, if they repent not with unfeigned forrow, and turn to the Lord with their whole hearts : certainly, wo, anguish, and tribulation, shall be their portion for ever! That which they have grieved, Thall grieve them; and that which they have bruised and resisted, shall reject and torment them; yea, it shall be a never-dying worm, and an endless pain, to them. Owo to the worker of iniquity in that day! wo to the flothful servant ! wo to the mocker and scoffer! wo to the drunkard and unclean person! wo to them that spend their days in vanity, and their life in earthly pleasures ! wo to the proud pharisee, and disdainful scribe! wo to the fearful and unbelieving! wo to idolaters and liars ! yea, and wo from God to all the cruel persecutors of the innocent lambs and sheep of Jesus, for their pure conscience to him! for they shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimItone, which is the “ second death."

O that you might escape this great damnation! and I testify to you, in the word of the Lord, that God giveth unto you all a day of visitation, in which you may escape the wrath to come. For this end, God hath sent his Son a light into your hearts; it is be which manifefteth all your thoughts, words, and deeds unto you ; it is be, which checks and reproveth you ; yea, it is be, which expoftulateth and striveth with you;

it is be, that knocketh at your doors, and awakeneth you to judgment; who condemneth every unfruitful thought, word, and work in you. Repent, I exhort you; turn to him, hear his voice, and harden not your hearts; but while it is to-day, and the light lineth, and the spirit Atriveth, O humble yourselves, bear his judgments, love his reproofs. And though his word be as a fire in your hearts, and though you are even scorched within you, becaufe of the heat thereof, yet bear the indignation of the Lord, in that you

U 3

have finned against him. Wait, watch, and walk in the light of the Lord Jesus, that in his blood you may feel remission of fins, and fanctification unto life eternal: that you may no more walk after the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof, but in the spirit of holiness; that you may be sealed unto the day of redemption. O the peace, the joy, the pleasure, and the undeclarable comfort, that is daily inet with in the holy and righteous way of the Lord!

O this riseth powerfully in my soul, · That his form . hath no comeliness in it, that will please fesh; bis

way and worship is most remote from it. Flesh and

blood have no share in his worship; the will and • runnings of man have no part in bis way.' It is neither at the mountain, where one sort runneth; nor af Jerusalem, whither another fort goeth; but in fpirit, within the vail, hid from Aesh and blood, yea, there it is that his worship is known and performed. Any form is more pleasant than this : bis visage is more marred than any man's. All will-worship, all human invention, findeth acceptance, where he cannot find a place to lay his head on. O this is a bitter cup to the creature; few will drink it! they are hard to be persuaded to fit still, and patiently to wait for the salvation of God, to let bim work all their works in them and for them. They know not what it is, to have the “ mouth in the dust, to have all felh filent before the “ Lord, that the voice of God may be heard ; that “ he may prepare them, and that the will of God “ may be brought forth in them.” O this mystery of iniquity, how hath it wrought, and how doth it yet work! It claimeth a right to the living child; but she hath no right to it; she is the womb of death, and can bring forth no living fruit to God. All nations have drank her cup. But the hour of her judgment is

She is seen, disveiled, and condemned by the living Spirit of God, that is felt, and received, and obeyed by a remnant, who are gathered from the mouths of idle shepherds, and all the errings and

stray

come.

strayings of false prophets, that have no vision; and are come to the Lord, to know his law in their hearts, and fear and spirit to be in their inward parts, and are taught and led by him. And these follow the Lamb, and are his host this day, that fight under his banner, with his holy testimony, against the whore, false prophet, and beast. And behold they shall prevail : for greater is he that is in them, than he that is in the world.

O this is a great mystery, but a greater truth: Moses, the servant, is, externally, more comely than he: yea, the prophets were as pleasant singers, and as delightful instruments of musick; their visions, sights, and glorious prophecies of the last days, and new-covenant times, were (says one of them of old) as a pleasant song: but the SON, the substance, when he came, had no beauty, no excellency, no comeliness. What is the matter? The way is narrow for Aesh and blood; there is a cross must be taken up, a bitter cup drank, and a baptism, yea, of blood, gone through. Man must die to his own will, affections, imaginations, and carnal conceptions; he must wait and watch, yea, continually : his own religion and righteousness is as odious as his sin and iniquity, yea, in a sense, more dangerous. It is no outside will do ; not that which pleaseth the busy, active will and mind of the creature, that gratifieth the external senses, that have prevailed against the soul : O no; it is an hidden life, an hidden temple, an hidden worship, and that in God's time; yea, an hidden manna, an hidden supper, not discernible by the vain sects of this world. Of this tabernacle is Jesus builder; of this covenant and worship is he author; of this altar is he priest: to this did he gather his of old, and to this is he gathering the nations. And the bride faith, Come; and the Spirit « faith, Come; and he faith, Come:” and blessed are they that come, and see how good he is.

But such who, like Sodom of old, go on to grieve the Spirit of the Lord, to rebel against his light, and

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vex

vex God's just Lot, that liveth in the midst of them, persisting in their lusts and abominations, God's angel Thall smite them with blindness: the day of their visitation shall pass away, and the forbearance of God shall be at an end, and fire from heaven shall devour them. Which with my soul I fervently and tenderly desire you may all escape, whom God hath taught to hate your sin, deny your glory, and separate from all your false worships, by his own light, fpirit, and truth, and to follow his dear Son in the way of regeneration; whose love to me hach taught me to love all mankind, and to seek their salvation.

COUNSEL and ADVICE,

BY WAY OF

E P I S T L E,

To all those who are sensible of their Day of

VISITATION, and who have received the CALL of the LORD, by the Light and Spirit of his Son in their Hearts, to partake of the great Salvation, wherever scattered throughout the World,

Faith, Hope, and Charity, which overcome

the World, be multiplied amongst you.

Published in the Year 1677.

W

MY DEARLY-BELOVED FRIENDS,

HO are sensible of the day of your visitation,

by the light of the Lord Jesus in your hearts, and who have gladly received the holy testimony thereof, by which you have beheld the great apostacy, that is in the world, from the life, power, and Spirit of God, and the gross degeneracy that is amongit those called Christians, from the purity, self-denial, and holy example of Christ Jesus, and his primitive followers; and how pride, luft, and vanity reign, and how Christendom is become a cage of unclean birds:

who